The Werewolf of Fever Swamp (TV and Book combined)
by Light Seeker 001
Summary: What if Cassie was in the TV episode? Sorry, this does have an OC. Goosebumps belongs to R. L. Stine and Scholastic Inc.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello I'm R.L. Stine. I write the Goosebumps books. You know werewolf legends haunted people's dreams for hundreds of years. Imagine: a full moon, someone beneath it, slowly turning into a ferocious wolf creature. Our parents and our grandparents love to be scared by the classic werewolf tales. And I hope you will enjoy The Werewolf of Fever Swamp. I'll see you after the show. Right now I'm going for a quick bite!**

Chapter 1  
We moved to Florida during Christmas vacation. A week later, I heard the frightening howls in the swamp for the first time. Night after night, the howls made me sit up in bed. I would hold my breath and wrap my arms around myself to keep from shivering. I would stare out my bedroom window at the chalk-colored full moon. And I would listen. What kind of creature makes such a cry? I would ask myself. And how close is it? Why does it sound as if it's right outside my window? The wails rose and fell like police car sirens. They weren't sad or mournful. They were menacing. Angry. They sounded to me like a warning. Stay out of the swamp. You do not belong here.

I'm getting ahead of myself. When we moved in, mom and I were inspecting the house, and we were looking at my "new" room if you could call it that. "What a great space," she said. "Bigger than your old room." I was unimpressed. It looked like no one had been in here for years, and no one was there to take care of it either. "It looks…used." "It's rustic," mom replied. "Rustic's in these days." I noticed something black on the wall. "Is that a bloodstain?" "No that's…dry rot."

Suddenly, we heard a scream! One that we knew. My sister, Emily. She came stomping out of the bathroom. "That is it," she growled. "I don't care what mom or dad say, I'm not living here!" Dad came in upstairs. "What's wrong?" My sister pointed at the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. Inside was something wriggling and moving and brown. "It's just a corn snake," Dad said, picking it up. My sister made a face. "Give the snake an earring, and he'll look like your old boyfriend." Emily glared at me. I never really liked her old boyfriend, always calling me little.

"Emily," Dad said. "We live next door to a swamp, so you may have to get used to things that crawl, or slither." "Besides yourself," I said at her, smiling. "Grady," Dad said to me. "I want you and Emily to set this free in the swamp." "MOM!" Em and I protested together. "Go on, a little wildlife never hurt anybody," Mom said. "Just don't wander off to far."

The swamp was just as creepy at day time as it was at night time. Trees with slender, white trunks tilted over each other. Their flat, broad leaves appeared to form a roof, covering the swamp floor in blue shadow and the ponds probably had…well, I did not want to know what kind of predators lived there. I thought they had alligators. Emily was on the lookout from any dangerous wildlife. I know I didn't have to look far with her around. "There," I said. "That log is a good place for this little fellow to live." "Just get on with it before I lose my mind." I scoffed at my sister. "Where's your sense of adventure." I placed the snake under the log, and it slithered away from us. "Now we can go," I said.

The two of us began to walk away from the log and for home. Occasionally we'd see some wildlife. A loud whooping sound startled us. Oh, it's just a bird. "It's a crane," Emily exclaimed. She certainly looked like one. Tall and thin with a long neck and blond hair. Like Mom. Me, I got some of my looks from dad. Brown wavy hair. Dark eyes. A little chunky.

"Wait. How did we get here, again?" I asked. We looked around. Nothing looked familiar. "Was it this way," asked Emily. "No, that way," I said. No. This was not happening! We were lost! "Don't panic," I said to Emily. "I think I recognize that pond. We're in the right direction." We rushed towards the path we took, knowing there was nothing that could go wrong. "What's that?" hushed Emily. The sound of twigs snapping caught my attention. It was getting closer. We no longer walked. We ran! Right into one a man and he didn't look friendly either.

He glared at us with wild black eyes. He had long, gray-white hair, down past his shoulders, tied behind him in a loose ponytail. His face was bright red, sunburned, maybe. Or maybe red from anger. He wore a loose-fitting white T-shirt, dirt-stained and wrinkled, over heavy black trousers that bagged over his sandals. As he glared at us with those amazing black eyes, his mouth opened, revealing rows of jagged yellow teeth.

Neither one of us said a word. We just stared at him until we slowly crept by him then started running back home.

**(I own nothing. Goosebumps belongs to R.L. Stine and Scholastic Inc.)**


	2. Chapter 2

"When Christmas vacation is over, I'm out of here," Emily said as she put makeup on. We had only 2 bathrooms, and unfortunately Em and I had to share the one on the second floor. "A boarding school would be better than this hole." "You're not the only one who doesn't want to be here," I commented as I brushed my teeth. "I'm at least want to make the best of it." Emily scoffed. "After we met that weirdo in the swamp yesterday, I thought you'd be on my side." "Mom and dad have been talking about this project for years, and I won't be the one to ruin it." "Gee," she said, grabbing hand lotion. "And I thought you'd be on my side." She opened it, then immediately dropped it. A spider dropped out of the can. I couldn't help but laugh.

I walked out into the backyard and saw dad tending to the swamp deer that were kept in the pen. Oh, I forgot to mention that, didn't I? My parents were scientists and the project was part of the reason we moved from Colorado to Florida. They brought these Mexican swamp deer to the swamp to see if they could live in swamps like the one next door to us. "Everything's off the truck!" I called out to him. "Great!" he called back. I stuck my hand in the pen and petted one of the deer. "So when are the deer going loose?" My Dad was fixing the fence to the pen when I asked him. "Not for a while. Your mom and I have to tag them, make sure the trip here didn't shock them." He smiled and looked at the swamp. "Ever thought that you'd stay at a place like Fever Swamp?"

I shook my head. "Not in my wildest dreams." Dad chuckled, "Hey, come on! This is a great time to expand your horizons! Besides I think you might new friends here." "Like that psycho Emily and I met in the swamp yesterday?" I argued. No way was I going to make friends if he was the only local! "He's not a psycho," Dad replied. "He's a hermit. A friend of mine talked about him yesterday. No one knows who is, except that he's lived in this swamp for years. No one knows his real name either. From what I've heard, he's never harmed any people." I looked around, and shook my head. "There's something not right with this place. It feels weird." Dad shook his head. "See the deer? They've never seen a place like Fever Swamp either. That's why they're here. Soon they'll learn to adapt to a new place. And so will you." I scoffed. Thanks for the pep talk. And thanks for letting me a part of the experiment.

I will not lie to you, inside was jut as boring as it was outside. The downstairs TV had poor reception and every now and then, I had to readjust the antennae on the TV, much to my parents' annoyance. I decided to read a book in my room. Night time was when things got spooky. Every now and then I would hear the howls coming from the swamp. They didn't sound like any animal I ever heard. I looked out my bedroom window and would occasionally see something move near the edge of the swamp. I didn't think I would sleep tonight.


	3. Chapter 3

Outside, the next day, I was playing ball in the backyard. Well, not exactly playing ball. More like bouncing the ball against the wall of the shed, (which our parents converted into their lab) and catching it. One toss caused the ball to fly towards a line of trees. Then a hand grabbed it. Stepping out from behind the trees was a boy who looked about my age, twelve. He was about my height, but he was heavier, bigger somehow. His shoulders were broader. His neck was thicker. He reminded me of a football lineman. He had dark brown hair, cut very short. It stood straight up on top, like a flattop, and was swept back on the sides. He wore a red and green shirt with brown overalls and brown shoes.

"I saw you move in," he said. He tossed the ball back to me. "I didn't know any other kids live here," I said. "Well," he said, "It's mostly old timers. The closest kids around here are the next door neighbors. There's a girl who lives next to me. And the boy, Eric, who lives next to your house. Both of them are weird." I looked at him, confused. "Weird?" "Yeah, Will," said a voice behind me. "Why am I weird?" There stood a boy, who was probably as old as my sister, sixteen. He had short, brown hair with a few bangs on the front, brown eyes, and three scars, one on the bridge of his nose, and two around his eyes. He wore a Scarface shirt, blue jeans, brown, iron toed work boots and a worn out, brown straw hat. "Nothing," cried Will in a defensive voice. "It's just that…sometimes I do get tired of listening to old timer music!" The boy, who I guess is Eric, glared at him. "Music?" I asked. "Yeah," he said, calming down and pretending to play a guitar. "I play a couple of songs when I'm bored. I like to listen to modern songs along with oldies songs. You know, stuff from the 1950's, 60's, 70's and 80's." "Keep playing, and people will think you are old," teased Will, receiving an intimidating glare from Eric. This guy must be tough, even though he is a little skinny.

"So," Eric said, turning to me. "You're the new kid?" "Yeah," I replied. "Grady Tucker." "Eric Crawford," he said, tipping his hat. "And the shorty is Will Blake." Will muttered something under his breath. "So why do you have those deer in that pen?" Eric asked, walking over to the pen and scratching one of the deers' ears. He immediately stuck his hand out when it licked him. "My parents are scientists," I explained. "They're their project." Eric nodded. "Say, you got a bebe gun? I got some targets at my garage; maybe we can shoot them." I shook my head. "My parents don't believe in using guns," I explained. Eric shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, well."

We looked towards the swamp. "You ever been yet?" asked Will. I nodded. "My sister and I. Yesterday." "Did you get lost?" Eric asked. I nodded. "That's not good." I looked confused. "Do you know why it's called Fever Swamp?" asked Will again. "My dad told me that hundred of years ago, the people who lived here suffered from a strange fever. And the few that didn't die acted strange. They talked strange, acted crazy." "Don't listen to him," Eric laughed. "Do you know where those stories came from?" "Don't say it," Will interrupted, but Eric finished, "Moonshiners." I stared at him. "Moonshiners?" He nodded. "There really was a fever, but it was typhoid fever the settlers brought with them. And as for those who went crazy, well, it was infected wheat that the settlers made into bread. The moonshiners twisted the stories so that law enforcement officers would stay away from their stashes in the swamp."

Will scoffed, then turned to me. "Well, stories aside, you want to go in?" I looked at him, shocked! "Don't worry," Eric said. "We know our way around." I looked around, then followed the two boys. Being in the swamp the second time felt uncomfortable. Who knows if that swamp hermit was still around. "You know," I said. "Dinosaurs used to live in places like these." "They still do," commented Eric. "Alligators. That's how I got these scars. Fell into a pond and nearly had my face ripped off by a gator." "Don't listen to him," Will said. "That's not how it happened." "Is so!" argued Eric.

There was a snapping of twigs. We turned around. "What was that," I asked in a hushed voice, but Eric shushed me. He grabbed a large branch and walked towards a nearby tree. He swung and hit something, causing it to cry, "Ow!" He grabbed it and flung it to the ground. "Cassie O'Rourke, what are you doing following us?" he shouted. Flat on her back was a a girl about mine and Will's age. She had rust-colored red hair tied in a ponytail on one side. She had catlike green eyes, and a short stub of a nose, and freckles all over her face. She was wearing faded red denim jeans and a T- shirt with a grinning green alligator on the front. "I wanted to know what you were doing," she said, rubbing her now bruised hand. Now I know what he hit. "You didn't have to hit me!" "I can't be too careful," Eric said. "Not with predators here in the swamp." I walked up to her and asked, "You okay?" She looked at me, then nodded. "Yeah, Grady." "How do you know my name?" She stopped rubbing. "I overheard you guys talking."

She sat down on a stump. "She's the girl I was talking about," Will said. "Another one of the weird kids." Cassie glared at him. "Just because I believe in…" There was a loud bang, interrupting us. The sound of a gun. "Run!" Eric shouted. "What is it?!" I asked him. "Shut up and run!" No arguing there. Will, Cassie and I followed him, hiding behind a log. Dragging a dead heron and a shotgun was a familiar looking man. "The swamp hermit," I gasped. "So that's him!" Eric said. "We heard stories about that guy!" "I thought he only came at night," Cassie said, clearly frightened. As the swamp hermit walked off, Eric silently followed him. "What are you doing?!" hissed Will. "Shh!" hissed Eric back. This is stupid, I thought. That's when I saw the big knife strapped to the back Eric's belt. He probably knew what he was doing.

We followed Eric who followed the swamp hermit, until he came to an old shack. Eric hid behind a bush and we followed suit. The swamp hermit opened the door, then turned in our direction. "He sees us," whimpered Cassie and we froze in fear. Eric had his hand on his knife. Smart idea. This is a perfect example of bringing a knife to a gun fight! But the swamp hermit shrugged his shoulders and walked in his hut.

"Me and my sister ran into that guy days ago," I said. "That's bad!" whispered Cassie. "There are stories of him making people disappear. He's been living in this swamp for fifty, sixty years." "He doesn't look that old," I commented. "Don't listen to her," Will said. "Shut up and listen to me," hissed Cassie. "He's the reason why people die in the swamp at night. Especially on full moon nights." "Shut up!" Will said, laughing. "It's true, Grady!" Cassie said as she looked at me and put her arms on my shoulders, tightening her grip. "Listen for the howls at night! When you hear them, you'll know it's him! No animal howls like that except for one!" I was afraid. "What?" "A werewolf." Now I wasn't. "Werewolf?" I echoed. "Told you she was weird," Will said. "Don't come crying to me when the full moon comes," Cassie hissed at him, letting me go. "And don't come near any of us when you're bitten. That's how you become one!" Growing up with scientist parents, I never believed in that sort of thing.


	4. Chapter 4

It was nighttime, and dinner time. The full moon was up. I scoffed as I saw it. Werewolves? Yeah right. "Why can't I drive the car to town?" Emily asked when I sat down. "I got my license." Dad retorted, "You just got a license, and you don't know the roads." Emily groaned, "I'll never meet people my age." "It's not like you're on the moon." Mom tried to change the subject. "So, Grady, I hear you made new friends with the neighbors." I nodded. "There names are Will, Cassie and Eric. Eric's always playing music whenever he's bored." Dad looked up. "Was he the one singing Bob Dylan songs while I was working with the deer?" I shrugged my shoulders. "He does like oldies songs," I said. Dad chuckled. "He's pretty good." "And there's Will and Cassie. All three of those kids know a lot of Fever Swamp." "I'm sure they do," Mom said. "They are locals."

"Will says that Fever Swamp got its name because of some fever that drove people mad or killed them," I continued. "But Eric says that it's all stories made by moonshiners so that the law doesn't go into the swamp and find their stashes. Or something like that." Mom, Dad and Emily looked concerned. "Moonshiners?" they said in unison. I nodded. They looked uncomfortable. "I didn't know moonshiners would be here," Dad said, serious. "Be more careful when going out there." "Cassie is a little odd," I continued. "She is a believer in werewolves. She thinks the swamp hermit is one." Everyone either scoffed or laughed. "Werewolves," chuckled Emily. "Do you actually believe in that stuff?" I shook my head. "Of course not! Will and Eric did say she was weird!"

After we had dinner and prepared for bed, I was having trouble sleep. I was sweating and panting when I woke up. I was hot. Hot?! Swamp fever! I rushed to the bathroom and grabbed the thermometer. I was sweating a river! I looked at the thermometer. 98.6. Normal temperature. Must be thinking too much about those stories Eric, Will and Cassie told me.

**(Short, I know, but more will come.)**


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, me and my new friends explored in the swamp, and watched a little of TV at Eric's place. It was old, but wasn't run down like my place. That night, as me and my family went to bed, a new sound was heard as soon as I placed my head on the pillow. A scratching sound. It was right outside. I looked out, but nothing was there. Then I heard it again. Scratch, scratch, scratch. It was coming from downstairs! I walked out my room, only to bump into Emily. "What are you doing?" asked Emily. "I heard something," I replied. "I heard something too," she said. We headed downstairs to where the scratching was coming from. The door was open by just a crack. We headed for it…when…it lunged at me!

"Get it off, Em! GET IT OFF ME! IT'S KILLING ME! IT'S…licking me?" Mom came rushing in and saw what had happened. She pulled the thing off of me. What we saw startled us. It was no monster. It was a really big dog! "That was trying to kill you?" asked Mom. Dad came rushing in, then jumped back at the sight of the dog. "Was that you upsetting the deer?" I petted the dog on the muzzle, then it resumed to licking my face. "Where were you," asked Emily. "You missed the action." "I was checking on the deer. Something was spooking them. I think we know who did it now." I scratched the dog's head when it finally stopped licking. "Wonder who owns him," Em wondered. "I don't see any collar or tag." "It's probably a stray," I said. "Maybe we can keep him?" "I don't know," said Dad. "It looks pretty big. I don't know if we can afford to keep a dog." "Oh, come on!" I argued. "Life in the country isn't complete without a dog! You want to live here, you gotta have a full package!" "Let him have him, Dad," Emily said. When did Em ever side with me? "Alright, look I'll tell you what," Dad said. "We'll ask the local neighbors if this dog belongs to someone. If not, we'll keep him, but he stays outside." The dog licked my face again.

Outside, the dog and I were playing fetch outside, using my tennis ball. Occasionally, I bounced the ball against the wall of the house, sending the ball flying. The dog would always catch it. Eric was walking toward the house. "Hey, Grady-whoa!" He froze when the dog came running toward him. He didn't tackle him, but he rubbed his head against Eric's thigh. "Who's this?" he asked, rubbing the dog's back. "He looks like he's part wolf-part German shepherd, or something." "No idea. He broke into our house. Dad checked the neighborhood. No one seems to own him. So we're keeping him." "Have you thought of a name?" "Not yet." Eric pondered on a name as he tossed the ball and let the dog catch it. "How about Vandal? You did say he broke into your house." I looked at the dog. "Actually, I was thinking of Wolf. I mean, look at him." "He certainly looks like a wolf," Eric muttered. "Well, do you like Wolf?" he asked the dog. The dog barked. "Wolf it is," concluded Eric. "Say, when Cassie and Will come back, want to take Wolf to Fever Swamp with us?" I looked at Wolf, enjoying a belly rub from me. "He must have lived in the swamp before we met," I said. "I don't mind taking him. We might have an experienced guide and protector." "What's that supposed to me," he complained. I laughed.

"Did you hear the howls last night," asked Will as we walked into the swamp with Wolf. "Yeah, it was Wolf." Good thing Cassie wasn't with us. She would have said something like, "It was the werewolf! Not the dog!" Wolf was ahead of us. "If Cassie was here," Eric said. "She would see that Wolf could probably sniff that hermit miles away now." "Amen," Will and I said. There were strange looking, yellow flowers tied to the branches of bushes and trees. "What's this?" asked Eric. "Wolfsbane," said a voice, catching us by surprise. "Cassie!" we shouted. Sure enough, there she was. Weirdo, I thought. "That's the stuff that protects people from werewolves. But that stuff doesn't really work." I scoffed, "Right, and the only way to kill them is with a silver bullet, right?" Cassie chuckled. "Shows what little you know. That silver bullet stuff was actually made up by were-folk so that poor people couldn't afford silver." "Were-folk?" Eric and Will asked. "I suppose you'd call them were-people.

The more we walked down the moss covered path, the more Will and Eric looked worried. "Let's go back," Will said. "I don't know this part of the swamp." Suddenly, I fell! "Grady!" Will and Eric shouted. Wolf barked and howled. As I fell, I noticed an unfriendly-looking bog. I don't want to fall in that! I grabbed a vine and held on for dear life! I pulled myself up and looked down at the bog as Eric, Cassie, Will and Wolf ran down the the slope to my side. "Wow," Eric gasped. "This peat bog is supposed to be the heart of the swamp! You just stumbled on a gold mine! People actually harvest peat for fuel!" I looked at the bog and covered my nose due to the smell. If this is a fuel source, I'd rather stick with the ones found in gas stations. "You know," he continued. "In Denmark, they found mummified bodies of Viking victims in bogs like this. Who knows? Maybe we might find a murder victim's mummified body in here." Cassie and I looked scared. "I wonder how deep it is," Will wondered. "Want to find out?" Eric asked.

He stuck his hand deep in the muck. "Well?" I asked, scared. "How does it feel?" "Like green, slimy, mashed potatoes. Ugh, this is gross," muttered Eric. He was ready to pull his hand out, but seemed to have trouble. "Wait…something's got me! Help! Help me!" Will and Cassie grabbed Eric's shoulders and tried to pry him out. I stood still. What could I do? Suddenly, Eric lifted his caught hand, revealing a skeleton's hand holding on to him!

We all screamed, but took another look. "Oh!" exclaimed Eric, smiling and giggling. "It was only a branch!" He started to laugh while played with the stick, pretending that it was attacking him. We stared at him angrily. "Suckers!" Cassie scoffed at what he said and she, Will, Wolf, and I left the bog leaving him. "Hey," Eric called out. "I was joking. You should have seen the looks on your faces!" He caught up with us as he tossed the branch.


	6. Chapter 6

Later that night, I was sound asleep. The words Cassie, Will and Eric said were haunting my mind and dreams. Werewolves, mummified bog bodies, swamp fevers, and the howls. Wait, that was no dream! I actually heard them! I carefully walked over to my bedroom window, and looked out. I saw the animal out there. Something was chewing on something. The thing that was eating…Was that Wolf? No, it couldn't be! The animal howled again, then took off running into the swamp. How was I going to sleep after that, I wondered. Surprisingly, I was able to.

The next morning, I awoke to the sound of screaming. I rushed downstairs to find Mom and Dad running outside. There stood Emily, shaking like a leaf and looking down at something. We walked by to see what it was. I nearly vomited. At first, I thought it was a ripped up towel or a hand cloth. It was a rabbit, but it was torn to shreds! "What happened here," I gasped, but I knew what happened. "Bite marks do look canine," Dad said. At that moment, Wolf came running towards me, pinning me to the ground and licking my face. "It was that dog," Emily said. "I know it!" What? "He might be a hunter," Mom said. "I think we have to send him away for the deers' sake. We can't let him hurt them." No! "You're wrong!" I shouted. "Look at those teeth marks! They're too big for a dog! Maybe a wolf!" "There are no wolves in swamps," Mom said. "Besides, he was the only predator that could have done this." "No!" I shouted. I couldn't take this anymore. I ran out with Wolf away from the rabbit and to another side of the yard.

Wolf and I sat against a tree. Wolf was looking at me with wide eyes. "You saw something," I said to him. "Didn't you? Like I did?" Someone was right in front of us, and I jumped up to see Eric, wearing brown shorts, a red and grey short-sleeved shirt, a fingerless biker glove with spiked knuckles and his worn out straw hat. "I heard about the dog," he said. "That's the fourth dog attack this month." "Was it a werewolf?" I asked him. "Don't tell me you actually believe Cassie," he scoffed. "No," I argued. "But last night, there was a full moon and…" "Let me guess, you think it was the swamp hermit, don't you?" I looked at him, then at Wolf, then at the swamp. "I don't really know." Eric sat next to Wolf and scratched his head. "Look," he said to me. "I don't want to believe it, but maybe it was the dog. Who knows how long he's been living here?" I was speechless. "You're just as bad as my parents!" "It's only a theory," he shouted. "Maybe it was some other wild dog." I was unconvinced by what he said. "However," he continued. "If you think it was werewolves that did it, then stay up late. Tomorrow and the day after that will be the last days for a full moon. Find yourself some proof, then Wolf's innocent."

"You're being an idiot!" Cassie shouted as I marched towards the swamp hermit's hut with her, Wolf, Eric and Will following me. "No one looks for the swamp hermit! Those who do end up eaten!" I didn't care. I had to find proof! "If you're so scared, then go home. All of you!" Eric and Will looked hurt when I said that. "That was uncalled for, Grady," Will said. Whatever. I have more important things to do. There it was. The hut we saw days ago. Cassie walked up to me and a handed me a yellow flower. "Wolfsbane?" I asked her, taking it from her. "I thought you said it didn't work?" "Do you believe everything you hear?" she asked.

I peered into the windows of the hut. "See anything werewolf?" asked Cassie, peeking over my shoulder. I shook my head. "Nothing." The bushes nearby began to shake and there came a loud growling sound. "What was that?" asked Eric, placing his hand on the knife strapped to his belt. Suddenly, there was a dead silence when the sound got closer. "Let's get out of here," Cassie whispered. But before we could leave, there he was!


	7. Chapter 7

The swamp hermit leaped out of the bushes, eyes wide with excitement. "I'm the werewolf!" he shouted, laughing! We all screamed as he came rushing toward us swinging a dead heron in his hand and laughing and screaming, "I'm the werewolf!" Eric shrieked and forgetting all about the belt on his belt, started running leaving us in the dust. "Oh, thanks!" shouted Will. I held the wolfsbane Cassie gave me the other day out in front of me, but he swung it out of my hands with the bird. I started running. It was all a blur now. A blur of light and shade, trees and vines, tall weeds and sharp brambles. "I'm the werewolf! I'm the werewolf!" The crazed hermit's high-pitched wails of laughter echoed through the swamp. Keep going, Grady, I urged myself. Keep going. Then, with a terrified cry, I felt my feet slide out from under me. I fell face forward into the mud, landing hard on my hands and knees. He's got me, I realized. The werewolf has got me.

I fell down with a plop! He was right on top of me! He stopped right in front of me and smiled. We didn't say a word. I was done for! But he didn't say a word. Instead, he started to laugh. And not in that maniac way. More like he had listened to a funny joke. "Go on," he said. "I won't bite." What? "I was teasing," he continued. His smile faded when Wolf came by. "Where were you," I asked him. "Why didn't you protect me?" He lowered his head. "You're a coward like me," I asked him, rubbing his head. "That your dog?" the swamp hermit asked as he walked off. "Watch out for him." What did that mean?

Forget the proof. I just wanted to get away from Fever Swamp as soon as possible! By the time I reached my home, Eric was there with Will trying to calm down Cassie when he looked at me. "Were you bitten?!" he shouted. That's a fine way of saying, "I'm sorry I ditched you!" I didn't say a word. "Next time," I said to them with venom in my voice. "When there's a crazy man after me, don't leave anyone behind. And no, I wasn't bitten, thank you very much!" With friends like them who needs enemies?

"I'm sorry," one of them said. I turned around. Cassie looked ashamed, staring at the ground. "People do stupid things when they get scared. This is probably a perfect example. I just hope you can forgive us." Wolf walked up to her and licked her hand. I smiled. "Ah, who could stay mad at you guys?" "So, are we forgiven?" asked Eric, twirling his knife. I nodded. "Sorry about the proof," he continued. "What are we going to do about Wolf's innocence?" I really didn't know.


	8. Chapter 8

My sleep was interrupted by a crashing sound coming from outside. Out in the yard, there was a loud growling sound and the sound of animals wailing. I could hear my parents rushing outside to see what was going on. I rushed downstairs with Emily. Outside was a disaster! The deer pen had a huge gaping hole in it, and all the deer were huddled in one corner of the pen. Five pairs of eyes stared us, filled with fear. Wait, weren't there six deer? "Where's the sixth deer?" I asked Dad. He pointed toward something near the edge of the swamp. There was my answer. And beside its body were the paw prints of a dog. Only they were bigger. My family looked at me grimly. There was no way I could defend Wolf now. Not after this.

The next day, Eric sat on a stump, strumming a guitar the next day. He heard what had happened. "Howls have been heard all over the neighborhood, Grady," he said to me as I sat next to Wolf. "I'm sorry. But it's too late." I stomped off away from him. Some help he had been! "It's the swamp hermit doing it," I shouted at him. "He's a werewolf! He's the one who killed the deer! He's the one doing all the animal attacks, he…" My conversation was cut off when I saw Mom drag Wolf into the shed with a rope around his neck! "What are you…" I started, but she interrupted. "I'm sorry, Grady, but our minds are made up! Tomorrow, we take this dog the pound!" "Listen to me," I shouted. "I know who did it! It was the swamp hermit; he's the werewolf!" Mom looked like she had enough. "We'll talk about werewolves tomorrow. Heck, we'll talk about everything from werewolves to flying monkeys! But now, it's time to get your priorities straight!" No! I wrestled Wolf free, ignoring my mom's shouts. "Run, boy!" I shouted, and he took off running into the swamp. "That was dumb," Mom said, clearly angry. "He will be back. And when he does…" She sighed and started to walk into the house. "I'm sorry, Grady. Truly I am." Eric was starting to walk away. "Why didn't you say anything?!" I shouted. "Because I agree with them!" he snapped back. "There's no such thing as werewolves, the swamp hermit is just a crazy old coot and you my friend, are just as crazy as Cassie! Her obsession has rubbed off on you!" He stormed into his house, never looking back.

My whole family was tense. At dinner, we hardly spoke. Emily talked about the movie she had seen the night before, but no one joined in with any comments. I went to bed early. I was really tired. From tension, I guess. And from being up most of the night before.

My sister went out again to watch another movie and Dad went to get supplies, although I think they said it just to get away from the tension that was in the air. I couldn't sleep a wink when I laid in bed. I just couldn't stop thinking about Wolf. And what my family and Eric said. The howls started again, forcing me to look outside. Wolf was at the edge of the swamp, looking through my window as if he was waiting for me. He looked scared. Quietly, I opened up the window and dropped to the ground. The window wasn't that high, so I didn't get hurt. I had to follow him! I had to prove his innocence! My sneakers squeaked and slid on the damp grass as I hurried to follow Wolf. I stopped at the end of the back yard. I'd lost him. I could still hear him somewhere up ahead. I could hear the soft thud of his paws on the marshy ground. But it was too dark to see him. I followed the sound of his footsteps, gazing up at the shifting, shadowy clouds. I was nearly to the swamp when I heard footsteps behind me. With a gasp of fright, I stopped and listened hard. Yes. Footsteps. Moving rapidly toward me.

Emily had returned home by the time Grady had left for Fever Swamp. The house was darker than normal this time, but then again it was always like this at night whenever people go to sleep. "Mom, I'm home!" No one answered. "Must be asleep," she thought. She proceeded to walk up the stairs and into the bedroom, but stopped when she looked at the kitchen door. Someone had left it open. "Grady?" she called out. "You know you're not supposed to be out!" No answer. She walked outside and called out again. A scratching sound startled her. A scratch that came from inside the house!

"Grady, is this your idea of a joke?" No reply. She walked upstairs to her and Grady's bedroom and saw that his window was open. "You're in so much trouble," she thought. She started to walk downstairs toward her parents' bedroom. The scratching sound made her stop. It was coming from the bathroom! Slowly, she turned around. She couldn't make out what it was, but it was big. Really big.

With a loud scream, Emily ran down the stairs. Her first thought was to get out of the house and call the police, but then…"Mom!" she shouted. She ran into her parents' bedroom on the first floor and banged on the door. "Let me in!" The beast was running down the stairs toward her! Her mother opened the door just in time as Emily pushed herself in and locked the door behind her. Her mother looked confused and scared. "What is it?!" she shouted, demanding an immediate answer. But poor Emily was so scared, she was talking so fast and was stuttering her words. Her mother shook her and to try to calm her down. "What is it?" she repeated, but all she got from Emily was, "Some kind…of wolf!"

The door banged as the wolf started to claw and bite its way into the door, scaring them. Grabbing a lamp, Mrs. Tucker slammed hard on the beast's paw when it burst its way in. The beast's paw vanished after a few hits. They stood stark still as they began to hyperventilate. Mrs. Tucker looked down at Emily. "Where's your brother," she asked, trying not to scare her daughter even further. "B-b-bedroom…window…o-o-open…" stuttered Emily, choking back tears. They both looked at each other. Mrs. Tucker opened her bedroom window. "Grady!" she shouted. "Where are you?!" Emily dragged her back in and slammed the window closed on ten hairy fingers with claws for nails. The beast was outside, howling in pain and desperately trying to get its fingers out. Emily and her mother backed away from the window. With one final jerk, the beast broke free and lumbered off quickly into Fever Swamp. "Get your father," demanded Mrs. Tucker. "Call him, then call animal control." "Grady was right," Emily said. "It wasn't the dog!"


	9. Chapter 9

I gasped when I saw Eric behind me. In the darkness, I could see that he was wearing long sleeved sweat pajama pants, a white T-shirt, his brown iron-toed boots, his tattered straw hat and a belt. Strapped to it was his knife and, to my shock, a pistol. It wasn't a toy, or a B-B gun either. It was the real thing.

"What are those for?" I asked. Eric had a dark look on his face. "Time to hunt," he said. "That mutt is dead." I stopped him immediately. "No! I won't let you shoot my dog!" "I'm not talking about Wolf," he growled. His tone of voice scared me. "I'm talking about the werewolf." I was stunned. "Werewolf? I thought you didn't believe in werewolves!" I looked into his eyes. "That was until I saw it leave Will's house, with blood in its mouth." My eyes widened. "It got Will?" He nodded as he walked by me. "And his family. I checked. Go home, Grady," he hissed. "I don't want another friend dead. That goes for you, Cassie." Cassie came out from behind a line of trees, wearing a night gown and a pair of rubber boots. In her hands was a fireplace poker. "I wanted to help," she said, clearly afraid. "I don't want to see you end up like Will." "I'll be fine," he insisted, pushing me aside. "But you two will just be expendable if you go in with me. I'm better equipped and I know this place like the back of my hand."

He started off into the swamp. "Now go home, both of you." And he disappeared into the darkness of the swamp. Cassie and I just stood still until I started to move toward the swamp. Cassie grabbed me by the arm. "No! Don't go! You heard what he said!" I looked back at her. "Do you believe everything you hear?" I asked, repeating those exact words she said to me about the wolfsbane. Cassie didn't say a word. "Wolf's out there," she suddenly said. "He'll protect Eric!" I smiled. Yeah. He will. Then I thought of something. What if he mistakes Wolf for the werewolf? What if he shoots him?

There was a loud scream. Neither of us made that scream. "Eric!" Cassie shouted. She started to run off into the swamp. So much for listening to Eric! I rushed after her, and that's when I realized something. "Shoot!" I muttered. "I should have brought a flashlight! I can't see a thing!" So far, the only source of light was the full moon. Our sneakers slid over the damp, marshy ground. I slapped at a mosquito on the back of my neck. Too late. I could feel warm blood. Deeper into the swamp. Past the bog, eerily silent now. "Eric!" We called out. "Wolf!" A fluttering sound startled us, causing Cassie to slash a nearby tree with the poker. It was only a bird that was disturbed by the sound of the poker hitting the tree. We continued to call out to our friends as we walked through the swamp. Then we saw it. Lying on the ground was Eric's knife.

I picked it up and looked it over in the light of the moon. Blood was on it. Was Eric…? Emily looked like she was about to have a panic attack. She was breathing too fast and her hand was on her heart. "Cassie," I exclaimed shaking her. "Calm down!" But that didn't work. She seemed to get worse. I slapped her in the face. That seemed to work. Finally, she broke into sobs, crying into my chest. "I want to go home!" she wailed. I wrapped my arms around her. "It'll be okay," I assured her. But I knew that wasn't true. Cassie looked over my shoulder…then screamed a loud scream. I looked around and the two of us jumped out of the way as the werewolf leaped out of the bushes and toward us!


	10. Chapter 10

There was no thinking. There was no planning. The two of us just split up and went our separate ways, just to get away from the werewolf! At first it went after Cassie, then it went after me when I threw the knife into its back. All that did was give it a big cut on its back! And made it angry! It turned and growled at me. "Leave us alone!" Cassie shouted, striking the werewolf hard with the poker. It growled at her, causing her to run away. Then it started to chase me again. I ran down another section of the swamp, not caring if I got lost. I just had to run away and get Cassie and Wolf out of here!

Suddenly, I heard it groan, then let out a roar. It fell on its back and writhed in pain; why? I walked up to it and watched it as it made human groaning noises. It sounded just like… "Get away!" Will! "Get away, Grady." "You?!" I shouted. "But how?" "I don't know how long I've been like this," he said. "And I never meant to make Wolf look like the bad guy, but I couldn't help myself!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was Will all this time? He let out a groan again and he began to make more animal noises. "Is there something we can do to help you?" I asked timidly, but all he said was, "No! Leave now! Go!" before making animal growls again. Will got on all fours and glared at me.

With a roar, Will jumped at me and tackled me to the ground. Then with a howl, he sank his teeth into my left shoulder! I screamed as he shook me and attempted to eat me. Suddenly, a loud barking distracted him and was tossed aside by a familiar shape. Wolf! Will growled as Wolf began to circle him. Will roared and jumped at him and sank his teeth into Wolf's back.

Wolf yelped in pain, but countered with a hard bite to Will's tail. Will yelped and released Wolf. I was starting to pass out due to the pain in my shoulder. "Grady!" Cassie! She rushed to my side. She tore a piece of her night gown and used it as a bandage. "Cassie…" She shushed me. "Stay calm," she said. "I'm going to get you out of here." "It was Will," I whispered, getting weaker by the minute. "It was Will all the time." Cassie's eyes widened. "What?"

A loud bang startled us. "Eric!" Cassie's shout got my attention. Yep. There was Eric. With his knife and his gun. "Sorry Will," he said. "I really am." He aimed his gun and fired, but all that came was a click. "Gun's jammed," he shouted. Will roared and lunged at him. The two of them went rolling down a hill with Wolf chasing after them. The last thing I remembered before passing out was the sound of fighting, then repeated gunfire and finally, a loud howl of pain. Then silence.


	11. Chapter 11

Where was I? That was the first thing I said when I came around. I was in my bedroom, in my bed, surrounded by my family, Cassie and Eric. "He's coming around," Eric said calmly. It took a while, but when I finally readjusted my eyes, I could see that he was a wreck. His hat was practically destroyed, his clothes and skin were covered in scratch marks and blood. But no bite marks. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Try to stay down," Mom said, when I tried to get up. "You took quite a beating last night." "Wait," I muttered. "How did I get here?" "The swamp hermit found you and Cassie when Eric got tackled by that animal," Dad said. "He took you and Cassie home while Eric shot the animal." "He did?" I asked. Eric nodded. "We cleaned the bite wound on your shoulder," Dad continued. "It was pretty big. And they matched the bite marks on that deer corpse from last night." "Werewolf…Will…" I tried to say, but Eric placed a finger on his lips. "But…" "I don't care if it was a werewolf or a rabid coyote," Mom cried. "Just as long as it's gone!" Dad shook his head. "Look everyone," he said. "We've been through this. We know it was some kind of wolf that attacked you last night. But there's no evidence that suggests that it's a werewolf." "Except what I saw," whimpered Emily. She was clearly freaked out after what happened.

"It's a shame what happened to Will though," Eric blabbed. Everyone's heads bowed. "Yeah," said Dad. "I contacted the police after what happened. Will's house was a wreck. Like no one was there for months. They couldn't find anything." "Anyway," concluded Mom. "It's over." "And I know one thing," said Dad, opening the door to my room. "I was wrong about Wolf. With my apologies." Wolf came trotting in and leaped into my bed, licking my face. "Thanks guys," I said, stopping Wolf from licking me to death. Life was good. Mom, Dad and Emily left the room to let me recover, but Eric and Cassie stayed a while. "So," I said to Eric, concerned. "What did you do with Will?" He waved his hat like a fan. "Buried him," he said. "In the peat bog. I don't think anyone will ever think that a werewolf mummy will eventually be there." I lowered my head. "By the way," he continued. "I think we may have to keep this 'Will being a werewolf thing' to ourselves. I mean, who's going to believe us?" Neither Cassie nor I didn't like it, but it was for the best.

That all happened over a month ago. Since then, Wolf and I have a wonderful time exploring Fever Swamp. It's become sort of like a second home to us. Sometimes we let Cassie join us, even though she's always on the lookout for werewolves. I really wish she'd drop the subject. Eric didn't change one bit. He still wears that old hat and sometimes his singing brightens the mood. However, whenever we go exploring in the swamp with him, he always gives me that look. Narrowed eyes with a suspicious frown. He's been giving me that look ever since Will bit me. Cassie gives me suspicious looks too, but not as mean as his. In fact, I think she's gotten a lot more comfortable around me.

Grady opened the window to his bedroom window and dropped to the ground, staring at the full moon. It was the first full moon this month. Full moons always reminded us of Will. We'll never forgot him. He changed our lives. Grady placed his hands around his mouth and let out a long, joyful howl as he started to change. Fur began to grow from him, a tail began to grow, his snout began to expand and his fangs slid out from his now dark lips. I was right, when a werewolf bites you, it passes on the curse to you. However, I heard that he wasn't upset. In fact, he told me he's a lot happier. With Will gone, Fever Swamp "belongs to him" now. There's Wolf waiting for him now. I can see him pacing back and forth in the yard, eager for some nighttime exploring with Grady. I watched as he finished changing and headed for the swamp with Wolf at his side. Enjoy exploring Fever Swamp, Grady and Wolf. And happy hunting.

**R.L. Stine's epilogue: I hope you enjoyed that story, and I hope you weren't too scared. And remember: there's no such thing as a werewolf. Time for me to say goodbye. Have a scary night, everyone.**


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